


So Cold

by xZigzagx123



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Angst, Complete, F/M, Mention of Character Death, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-17
Updated: 2006-02-17
Packaged: 2019-09-29 05:13:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17197190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xZigzagx123/pseuds/xZigzagx123
Summary: A young child helps Kenshin cope with what he’s lost. WARRING! Spoilers for Trust and Betrayal and Manga.





	So Cold

**Author's Note:**

> I was trying to do a fic in 'honor' of one of my favorite scenes in RK, in the manga where he takes the kids kite flying despite all that's happened. Well, here's my best shot. This won second place at the rk_challenge community at LiveJournal for week six's theme of snow.

Even after everything had happened, he found a little bit of happiness. The children still wanted to play.

_Let's go kite flying today. Even though it's snowing._

He had made a promise hadn't he? That he'd play with them, he was happy they had come.

_Where's Oneesan? Where did big sis go?_

That answer hurt, it hurt so much he couldn't say it in a straight forward way.

_She's gone far away and isn't coming back. And as of today, I will also be going far away._

So he played for the last time with those children he had come to love. He ran with them, ignoring the pounding in his shoulder and back. He helped them get their kite high in the air. When it was soaring in the sky he stopped to rest, stepping back away from the children.

He watched the kite wave back in forth, way up high in the air. He watched it dance with the falling snow. He heard the children laughing and giggling. He felt the cold wind biting at his skin. But he wasn't aware of any of it.

His heart ached. It hurt more than any of his injuries, it suffocated him. Starring hard at the children he tried to suppress the emotions bubbling up inside him. Since coming down the mountain he hadn't cried, hadn't yelled, hadn't done anything. Just sat and waited to die, not wanting to believe that she was really gone.

A tug on his hakama brought him out of his stupor. "Oniichan," a small voice called to him "are you sad?" He didn't answer, he couldn't. Another tug told him that the child wanted him to kneel next to him.

It was the youngest of the little boys. His black hair was buried under big white flakes of snow. His round face was rosy red from the cold, his big brown eyes starred up at him as he knelt down beside him. Kenshin was speechless when the small child threw himself into his arms, holding him in a tight hug. "It's okay to be sad Oniichan." The boy's voice muffled against his chest. "I know you miss Tomoe-san. I miss Oneechan too."

He could slowly feel his resolve breaking, he hugged the small boy in his arms, his shoulders shaking. "It's okay," the child said over and over, "it's okay to be sad." Tears fell from Kenshin's eyes as he held the boy. He knelt there in the snow, being comforted by the boy and crying until he had no more tears to shed.

The youngster reached up and brushed away a lingering tear from the ex-hitokiri's face. "Feel better?"

With a small, sad smile on his face Kenshin nodded. "Yes, thank you."

The boy grinned and took Kenshin's hand. "Good! Now let's play together!" He led Kenshin to the other children and they played together in the snow until darkness covered the land and the children had to go home.


End file.
